Family first is our credo, our motto, one of the three pieces of our framework at the Photography Business Institute, and the reason I have taken so many risks in my career when I could have had a nice well-paying, safe job that came with golden handcuffs to my desk. So often, I see people misusing this gift. Let’s talk about what the real impact is and how to use our family first filter as you grow your photography business.
After going to my daughter’s college volleyball games with other parents, I watched them navigate their jobs because they didn’t have the flexibility to be gone whenever they wanted. I was so proud of these parents. One precious momma would do Zoom calls up away from the crowd and sit with her laptop and headphones, trying to have a meeting while really wanting to focus solely on her daughter playing volleyball. But, she still was making it happen. With this particular mom, I remember that she’s in outside sales, so she has freedom and flexibility to do this.
The thing is, if you really want to grow a photography business that can replace a 9:00 to 5:00 salary and give you freedom and flexibility, you are kind of in sales. You’re selling things, but you have to look at family first a little differently. It doesn’t mean only family first, all the time. Sometimes, I hate to tell you this, but business might trump family.
Recently, I had a photographer in my coaching programs reach out to me and tell me that she had the opportunity to see Taylor Swift in London. The challenge for her was that she would either have to leave a day or two after her friends, or she would have to move two sessions. I have three things that I personally don’t do as a photographer: I don’t do weekend sessions, night sessions, and I try my hardest not to move sessions on my clients. But if I had an opportunity like this, where she could go with her friends and see Taylor Swift in London, I might consider reaching out to those two clients.
There are other factors. If it’s a client I know wouldn’t be flexible, I might have to make that hard decision and fly by myself and meet my friends late. I have so many amazing clients that if I could go explain to them the situation they would be totally fine with it. Sometimes, there are things that are worth moving a client for. It’s rare. And I don’t do it much, but that’s part of having a business.
Sometimes there are important events in my business that I prioritize. For example, my mastermind group with my mentor. It happens twice a year and I pay and invest a lot of money for this, and I get a lot out of it. So, I might have to miss some of my kiddos activities. Because I’m at almost everything and that mastermind is once or twice a year, I had to weigh the sacrifice.
If I have to make something up on a weekend in my studio because I was at a conference, I can do that. Or if I want to take off a day and rearrange so I can be with my kids and make it up on a weekend, I have that flexibility. I have no problem doing that. So, family first sometimes means business first so that we can put family first.
My kids know that I get to be at almost everything. ‘m a very hands-on parent. But sometimes, that means that I have to choose business over being at their things. And, I want them to understand how this works because they’re going to be parents, hopefully, one day too.
Was I perfect? No. But, I was able to keep my business going through five bonus years we got with my dad, that we wouldn’t have gotten if we couldn’t drop what we were doing and get him up to Chicago, and be there to support him when he really needed us and wanted us there.
So, knowing how to create revenue on your own schedule is how you create generational change. That’s how you teach your kids how to have that freedom and flexibility in their life. It’s pretty cool. I think the bigger picture here, my friend, is by showing yourself compassion and self-respect, you are modeling some pretty powerful things to your kids. They can be shown that they can be a great parent and build a life that they love and a career that they love, and they can make a difference in the world in so many ways.
Download the Episode Transcript Here
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